Senate Joint Resolution 5 - IntroducedA Bill ForA Joint Resolution 1calling for an Article V convention in order
2to propose amendments to the Constitution of the United
3States that impose fiscal restraints, limit the power and
4jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the number
5of terms that a person may serve in Congress, and requesting
6Congress to similarly propose such amendments.
7WHEREAS, the founders of the Constitution of the United
8States empowered state legislators to be guardians of liberty
9against future abuses of power by the federal government;and
10WHEREAS, the federal government has created a crushing
11national debt through improper and imprudent spending;and
12WHEREAS, the federal government has invaded the legitimate
13roles of the states through the manipulative process of federal
14mandates, most of which are unfunded to a great extent;and
15WHEREAS, the federal government has ceased to live under
16a proper interpretation of the Constitution of the United
17States;and
18WHEREAS, it is the solemn duty of the states to protect
19the liberty of our people, particularly for the generations
20to come, by proposing amendments to the Constitution of the
21United States through a convention of the states under Article
22V of the Constitution of the United States for the purpose of
23restraining these and related abuses of power;NOW THEREFORE,
   24BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
   1That, pursuant to Article V of the Constitution of the
2United States, the General Assembly, as the legislature of the
3state of Iowa, hereby applies to Congress for the calling of a
4convention for the specific and exclusive purpose of proposing
5amendments to the Constitution of the United States that impose
6fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power
7and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the
8number of terms that a person may serve in the Congress of the
9United States;and
   10BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this application constitutes
11a continuing application in accordance with Article V of the
12Constitution of the United States until the legislatures of at
13least two-thirds of the several states have made applications
14for a similar convention under Article V, or the General
15Assembly resolves to withdraw this application;and
   16BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State shall
17transmit certified copies of this resolution to the President
18and Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and
19Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, each
20member of the United States Senate and the United States House
21of Representatives, and to the presiding officer of each house
22of the legislature of each of the several states.
23EXPLANATION
24The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
25the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   26This joint resolution constitutes an application requesting
27the United States Congress to call a constitutional convention
28in order to propose amendments to the Constitution of the
29United States to impose fiscal restraints on the federal
30government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal
31government, and limit the number of terms that a person may
32serve in the Congress of the United States. The resolution
33constitutes a continuing application to call a constitutional
34convention and states the intention of the General Assembly
35that the application be aggregated with the prior and
-1-1subsequent applications of other states limited to the purposes
2identified in the resolution.
   3The resolution requires the Secretary of State to transmit
4certified copies of this resolution to the President and
5Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Clerk
6of the United States House of Representatives, each member
7of the United States Senate and the United States House of
8Representatives, and to the presiding officer of each house of
9the legislature of each state.
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